PHOTOS: Protest ‘flotilla’ gathers in Elliott Bay, then near Polar Pioneer

(UPDATED 9:54 PM with added photos – scroll down)

2:02 PM: That’s just one section of the anti-Arctic-offshore-drilling “flotilla” that’s amassed in Elliott Bay this afternoon. Even if you haven’t been down by the water, you’ve probably noticed the helicopter flyover, circling North Admiral to the bay and back. Hundreds of people with kayaks and canoes started arriving before 9 am, organizing in groups along the Harbor Avenue shore; the traffic peaked a couple hours ago but will pick up again when this is over in late afternoon. An onshore program is scheduled at Jack Block Park, where this portable video sign has been showing a live feed of the kayakers, as well as this logo:

A barge off Seacrest, dubbed “The People’s Platform,” is expected to be showing “projections” in the evening. Here’s an aerial we just received from local photographer/pilot Long Bach Nguyen:

Meantime, on sea and land, police have been very conspicuously in view, from this bicycle pedal-by …

… to a patrol boat on the water and two mast-equipped command vehicles parked with an overview of JB Park and Terminal 5:

T-5 is where the drill platform Polar Pioneer has been docked since Thursday, but no word of any arrests or clashes. The date for today’s protest, as well as a demonstration on land Monday, was announced weeks ago, even before it was known when the PP would arrive; the drillship Noble Discoverer, which Shell also expects to use in the Arctic, remained docked in Everett at last report.

2:10 PM: Our crew at Jack Block says the flotilla participants are paddling by now, getting closer to the Polar Pioneer:

From our partners at The Seattle Times, via Twitter:

2:56 PM: Our crew says the flotilla is heading back out of the Duwamish River (Terminal 5 is at its mouth) and toward Jack Block Park.

3:25 PM: What was supposed to be a program of speakers at Jack Block scheduled for around 2 pm hasn’t started yet. So if you’re trying to keep track of when the outbound traffic might start in the area – all bets are off.

4:43 PM: Big outbound traffic as of about 4 pm, us included. More photos later.

ADDED 9:54 PM: As promised – more photos of the sights from and near Jack Block Park over the course of the day, now that we’ve had time to go through what we have – starting with Native canoes that joined the flotilla:

Part of the U.S. Coast Guard’s presence:

One person we recognized in the flotilla – Sustainable West Seattle co-founder Bill Reiswig:

One other view, for geographic context – Long B. Nguyen shot this in the early going today – it shows where Polar Pioneer is, in relation to Jack Block Park (Seacrest is not far off the right edge of the image, which you can click for a larger view):


While this has been promoted as a three-day “Festival of Resistance,” we don’t know of anything tomorrow; Monday morning is the on-land demonstration near the low bridge, scheduled to start around 7 am – so it could affect the morning commute – our most recent mention is here.

84 Replies to "PHOTOS: Protest 'flotilla' gathers in Elliott Bay, then near Polar Pioneer"

  • nichole May 16, 2015 (2:39 pm)

    Can someone explain why it’s even here. Been reading all the coverage and can’t find that info. Thanks.

    • WSB May 16, 2015 (2:48 pm)

      Hi, Nichole, sorry, it’s a failing, when something’s happening none of us tend to include much context. The port leased part of Terminal 5 to Foss, which said that it had at least one client, Shell, which needed a place to park at least part of its Arctic offshore drilling fleet in the offseason. Much controversy has ensued but the bottom line is that the port has stood by the lease and the fleet has started to arrive. A second drill rig, the drillship Noble Discoverer, is in Everett but supposedly coming here at some point. The rigs are to be stocked and otherwise prepared to go to the Arctic this summer – Shell has just recently won another key federal approval for exploratory drilling there, for the first time in three years. Here’s our original story previewing the Port Commission meeting that came a few days after the plan was made public for the first time (via the meeting agenda): https://westseattleblog.com/2015/01/what-you-might-see-at-west-seattles-now-empty-terminal-5-as-soon-as-march/

  • Jamo May 16, 2015 (2:41 pm)

    Wow! Mile long flotilla of kyak paddlers led by First Nation conoe paddlers headed up the Duwamish to the cheers of spectators on the shore and Jack Block park. They are now face to face with Polar Pioneer.

  • JanS May 16, 2015 (2:47 pm)

    why the rig is here? It’s on it’s way to the Arctic to drill, and needed to be outfitted with gear, etc. So they decided to do it here, over many objections.

  • Gina May 16, 2015 (3:04 pm)

    The poor sea lions. Have they all moved over to the Locks until the kayaks and zodiacs and barges go away?

  • alkiwoody May 16, 2015 (3:05 pm)

    While I feel it’s a shame to exploit pristine environments, if we don’t some other country will-and maybe with less environmental awareness. And, by the way, sure are a lot of plastic kayaks in that protest! Made out of-you guessed it-petroleum! And, Big Oil-sure love your product. I buy some every week.

  • pam May 16, 2015 (3:38 pm)

    Why are they protesting? I agree alkiwoody , products made by oil used to protest oil?? Not sure I understand.

  • coffee May 16, 2015 (3:39 pm)

    Alkiwoody, you hit that right on the head! Let’s face it we consume mountains of petroleum based products daily. How should these products be made? Look at medical care alone. Mountains of plastic is used…

  • wetone May 16, 2015 (3:55 pm)

    Does the event and takeover of Jack Block park and all other areas involved by the protesters and kayakers have proper permits for doing so ? And who is paying for all the extra police and security measures for all this ? Sad times when people can’t use and enjoy parks and public areas because this city gives protesters priority legal or not.

  • m May 16, 2015 (4:08 pm)

    We shouldn’t be drilling in the Arctic. We should go back to importing all of our oil from Iran and ISIS.

  • Dave May 16, 2015 (4:41 pm)

    Straw man arguments and corporate suck-ups, sure smells Republican in here!

  • Yardvark May 16, 2015 (5:03 pm)

    We actually get most of our oil from Canada, m.

  • Yardvark May 16, 2015 (5:10 pm)

    We all use oil…and so we all need to be a part of the conversation on how we reduce our dependency and addiction. Brilliant to see so many responsible citizens out there today refusing to just ignore the problem.

  • CanDo May 16, 2015 (5:10 pm)

    Well, I was at Jack Block Park today and thought it was a great party. The “protesters” looked a whole lot like you, me and our neighbors. Everyone was in a good mood, there was no trouble and it was quite a jovial event with a nice community feel. You should come out to one of these events, “wetone” because you might enjoy yourself and find that these people are fun and easy to talk with. :)

    And sure, we all use petroleum products, but these protesters think that enough is enough. Are you OK with another major environmental disaster by a major oil company? I’m not and their safety record isn’t all that good! Not only that but there’s a crude oil glut in this country right now so why keep on drilling? Why don’t those companies spend some of their billions of quarterly profits for developing clean energy so that we can all afford it?

  • jetcitydude May 16, 2015 (5:30 pm)

    Petroleum made kayaks and water vests oh my the irony of it all..

  • Oakley34 May 16, 2015 (5:45 pm)

    The problem with big oil (to me) is not that they are drilling or where they are drilling- as pointed out we all use this stuff in the products we consume etc – it is their aggressive lobby against environmental regulation and alternative energy solutions. Yes we need this stuff now, but don’t sabotage the future.

  • JayDee May 16, 2015 (5:51 pm)

    I like the fact the video display did not run on solar, or someone pedaling furiously on a bike but rather on a diesel generator set. Bet it will be there all weekend.

    @CanDo: Strangely enough, running the Trans-Alaskan pipeline at less-than-full conditions will cause more environmental damage and spills than not. Slower crude allows sludge to deposit and that creates corrosion more than if the pipeline was running fully pressurized. I think Alaska crude from a super-major field is << costly than Fracking.

  • charla mustard-foote May 16, 2015 (5:51 pm)

    WSB, thanks for the coverage. This is definitely a local event, gone viral. Continues Sunday and Monday.

  • BabyWrinkles May 16, 2015 (5:56 pm)

    @coffee, @alkiwoody, & @pam – Yup, y’all are right. We use mountains of petroleum based products every single day. They work well and are cheap, so why should we ever consider changing that?

    Perhaps… No, I guarantee, if they were more expensive we would have come up with alternatives years ago. Instead, we have mountains of non-recyclable plastics (see: cheap toys and consumer goods like keyboards, happy meal toys, most of the stuff you probably gave or got for Christmas) made of a very definitely finite resource heading to landfills to sit for all of time.

    I’m not trying to squeeze any trees to death here, but we’ve sorta screwed the planet over in our quest for never ending growth and profit NOW with zero regard for the long term feasibility of what we’re doing. I’m all for making a buck, but I’m getting increasingly frustrated with how much of it is based around the idea of accumulating more… stuff. I’m trying very hard to do my part, as well as encourage those around me to do theirs, but dammit if it isn’t discouraging when folks like yourself seem to cross the line from Devil’S Advocate into “Well, we’ve always done it this way and we’re gonna keep doing it this way because we can’t change it.”

  • Ray May 16, 2015 (6:25 pm)

    While there may be a “glut” at present, that does not mean there will be one in the future. This rig is for doing exploratory drilling to find new deposits. It is not like the siphon turns on immediately. It takes months and years to get a site up and running, once they have even identified a potential drilling location. And in the interim, until the drilling can start, prices continue to rise. THAT is why this is needed and doing what it will be doing.

  • OP May 16, 2015 (6:43 pm)

    Sooooo….how exactly does protesting a rig that’s here to get repairs to ensure that it doesn’t have a catastrophic event north of the Arctic Circle? What are they trying accomplishā€”a NIMBY scream across Elliot Bay that does….what exactly? Even money says no one can reasonably or rationally answer that without using hyperventilating rhetoric.

    This past Monday, the Obama Admin. cleared the way for Shell and others, to drill off the northern Alaska coast. If you are so against drilling, Shell (and Big Oil), why don’t you put your energies (pun intended) where they might actually accomplish something other than coming across as petulant and ignorant anti-corporate protestors, which is exactly what they are. How utterly boring and pointless.

  • JanS May 16, 2015 (6:43 pm)

    sun and wind…that’s all folks :)

  • Dave from Indy May 16, 2015 (7:02 pm)

    Sure we use petroleum products … doesn’t mean we support extreme measures to source and refine them. Examples: fracking (destroying ground water for decades/centuries), drilling in fragile eco-systems (Arctic), etc. A great country should be able to amass resources to pursue superior sources of energy, and reduce dependence on petro-products. Gotta draw a line somewhere – and Seattle may just have started that movement.

  • Les May 16, 2015 (7:12 pm)

    Dave, are you kidding? This place is so blue I hug fellow Republicans when I meet them (rarely) around town. It’s the same feeling as hearing someone speak English when you’ve been overseas for a few months. You have no worries of it “smelling Republican” for miles. So, whatever the odor is must be attributed to something else.

  • m May 16, 2015 (7:23 pm)

    @yardvark. Not true but good try

  • CountingCoup May 16, 2015 (7:24 pm)

    This is about trying to keeping the greedy Corporate Oil Company only concerned about making another dollar at the risk of an offshore oil drilling spill in the most remote and pristine ocean on this planet with about zero chance of containing a spill. Are you willing to risk our already polluted oceans for something more catastrophically damaging to get to the last 20% of the Earths oil reserves? Do you really believe a spill can be contained under ice? Did the BP spill have no affect on you? Focus people…

  • inpersonandfactual May 16, 2015 (7:24 pm)

    This was local and definitely global.

    I met two people yesterday from eastern europe (Romania and Germany) who are here because Royal Dutch Shell has been a European “problem”. And I might point out they were both software engineers able to afford the travel costs.

    In many respects, the citizens of West Seattle and Seattle are just waking up to the breadth and depth this company has on the world. It is the second richest entity on earth amongst global entities. The problem isn’t that it earns money, the problem is that it is not being encouraged to pursue research and development for alternative technologies. And it is the only oil interest with enough money to try what other oil companies will not jeopardize their stockholders’ earnings upon. 75% risk is 75% risk. Not good investments.

    This was not strictly local. It never will be.

    And OP. It has only been five or so days since the federal’s decision. Give the protestors time. They are going to be all over it. Don’t you fret. All. over. it.

  • ChefJoe May 16, 2015 (7:42 pm)

    Right JanS, I look forward to the windfarms stationed off alki point too !
    Solar is good too, but WA state needs to reform its solar power rebate program so lease programs like SolarCity’s can make a real run in Seattle. Although, still, solar with dense urban trees and lots of MFH will still be a stretch for some time to come.

  • JanS May 16, 2015 (7:52 pm)

    ^^^^^ hear, hear !

  • Kevin May 16, 2015 (7:53 pm)

    I just have a hard time seeing people protest for example oil/petroleum product which has to do with the drilling rig. Many of the people who I saw, pulled up with kayaks on top of what I would call not so fuel efficient vehicles (at least drive a more fuel efficient vehicle).
    Same as protesters who do not want trees cut down that have a wood house and wood furniture.

  • JC May 16, 2015 (9:03 pm)

    @Kevin, you hit it right on the nail. Another thing I noticed, when I was down in Long Beach, CA a few months ago, I saw a ton of Oil Rigs offshore drilling……….anyone protesting that? …………………….didn’t think so……..

  • DiverLaura May 16, 2015 (9:05 pm)

    I don’t think Seattle started that movement. Kayak flotillas are not necessarily coming up with options, but there are people out there who are. Hopefully everyone protesting AND everyone reading these comments will consider doing one or two things to reduce our collective petroleum footprint. What the protesters are doing is facilitating a discussion which is fantastic.

    If you want to feel a bit better about our future, please take a moment to watch this:

    https://youtu.be/yKORsrlN-2k

    They actually ran the building during the keynote address on the Gigawatt power pack, charged by solar panels on the roof. THAT is awesome. Yes, I am an Elon Musk fan girl.

    It is within the power of humanity to free ourselves from petroleum products, and we are at the cusp…

    We should be crowing from the rafters and having a massive party cheering on future-is-almost-now battery tech, alternate energy sources, and do what we can to encourage the government to incentivize electric cars that are affordable for the rest of us. When we collectively bailed out the auto industry the requirement should have been “you get bailed out but from here on out, you make electric cars”.
    If you question the viability of solar in Seattle, take a look at the Bullitt center, they are doing just fine. Solar panels and trees a worry? Look at all the roof tops we have just begging for panels! Agree with the comment about sorting out our solar program in WA. Let’s have a rally and make THAT happen :)

  • Mike May 16, 2015 (9:09 pm)

    JanS, Sun and Wind don’t make durable goods. They barely generate electricity, most of that is from our dams, which is why we have such cheap electricity in this state.
    .
    Until people are willing to give up all the niceties they are privileged to have here, we’ll continue to consume far more than we can handle to dispose of while consuming so much from natural resources that have a negative impact on our environment. That plastic Kayak, why not wood? There’s only one group on the water using a wood vessel that I see, one that’s being paddled around with wood paddles. I see lots of gas generators, gas motors, plastic kayaks, fiber glass boats, rubber boats, lots of protesters using a lot of products that are a direct result of rigs just like the one they’re protesting. I applaud the group of natives that went out in a wood canoe. I applaud SPD for using bicycles to patrol rather than just idling in petrol vehicles at the dock to unload a kayak or boat. How many people in Kayaks had neoprene on rather than wool and a natural layer of oiled deer skin?
    .
    There are other sources of energy, other ways to produce products, but people (including those protesting) enjoy the ease of life we have to just run to REI and buy crap that’s made in China, by a factory which pumps out toxins into the atmosphere and dumps waste directly into water ways unregulated, shipped here by a ship using bunker oil (it’ll burn butterfly poop or nuclear waste if you want it to, those engines don’t discriminate), then trucked by 4mpg diesel Freightliner and Kenworth trucks (from that port they’re at today) to the store, where customers drive their gas powered Subaru Forester, that was produced in Japan and shipped by ship using bunker oil, with Thule rack to buy the latest NEW plastic Kayak.
    .
    Or…they could make one from wood.

    • WSB May 16, 2015 (9:42 pm)

      A general reminder of a couple things:
      .
      #1 – while we don’t require log-in nor “real names,” we do require that you use the same handle within any one story’s comment section; changing handles within the same comment discussion makes it look as if you’re trying to pretend you’re more than one person.
      .
      #2 – if you are quoting something written somewhere, even elsewhere on this site, please do not include more than one quoted paragraph – just point to the link (you don’t need code to include links here, just use the full URL, starting with http, and the system will automatically hotlink it). We are very vigilant about copyright protection here and will not approve comments with longer sections of quoted text – thanks. – TR

  • DK May 16, 2015 (9:39 pm)

    If these fine individuals wanted to accomplish something useful, shouldn’t they be working to reduce this country’s dependence on oil? Trust me, if there was no market for oil, Shell would not be out looking for it. Until this nation reduces its dependency on oil, someone has to make it available. As was said earlier, should we let Alaska satisfy that need, or should we rely on the Middle-East?
    Shell’s decision to use Seattle to prepare their rigs wasn’t by chance, Seattle’s port and local businesses competed for that work. The mayor may not like it, but Seattle government was fully aware of this contract back when it was being put together, so to claim that additional permitting is required this late in the game is a bit disingenuous. Remember, even if this protest is successful, it won’t stop the exploration, it will just move the base of operations. That means that the primary goal of this protest is to make all businesses think twice before they contract to do business in Seattle. It won’t reduce oil consumption in this country, it won’t do anything to patch the hole in the ozone layer, and it won’t protect the fragile Alaskan environment, something even Alaskans are not too worried about. This protest makes as much sense as protesting Paccar’s Renton plant because their trucks can be used as fuel tankers. Much ado about nothing.

  • KM May 16, 2015 (9:50 pm)

    We all use oil. We all have probably more stuff made with oil than most of us know what to do with, or that is affordable or healthy. We can all be involved in the discussion on how to improve our energy plan and environment, rather than concerning ourselves about who uses more oil or what party they may be affiliated with. In the meantime, the oil industry will continue to run both major parties and elections. I think we’re better than this.

  • Lesley May 16, 2015 (9:58 pm)

    People who are trying to discount the message of those protesting by pointing out that they use products that are made from and powered by petroleum are committing a common fallacy of logic known as “shooting the messenger.”

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_the_messenger

    You try to personally attack those who are protesting, but that does not change their message. You are merely trying to detract from it.

    I believe that the fact that these protesters driving fuel-consuming cars and have products made of petroleum makes the argument even stronger. We are in a scenario where fossil fuels are part of our existence. For instance, I am a barista in this city. I don’t make a lot of money and it’s expensive to live here. I can’t afford a kayak, much less a wood kayak or a recycled plastic one. I also drive a fairly inefficient car because it was the most reliable car $2000 could buy me and it needs to get me to work at 5:30am so I can make a paycheck. I cannot afford to buy US handmade goods very often, so when I need something, I often have to buy something made in China because that is what is offered to me at an affordable price. This is the world we live in, and it is the world that we protest, where everything we do is dripping with petroleum. There could be alternatives, if we open our minds up enough to them. There have been very few incentives for businesses to invest in alternative energy. And there have been very few penalties for businesses continuing to pursue fossil fuels, particularly with irresponsible tactics such as drilling in the Arctic. Whether we like it or not, fossil fuels are going to eventually run out, and before that happens, we will burn this Earth to a crisp if we continue to drill for and use oil. Oil is a lose/lose situation. Why do we continue to accept this as our fate? Are we crazy?? It seems like it.

    I don’t know how the protesters can win in your eyes anyway. Either they are elitist and privileged and can, thus, afford a hybrid and a wood kayak, or they have a plastic kayak and a regular car like a normal person and are pegged as hypocrites. Somehow, I think that you have already decided how you want to think about this issue and have closed your mind to alternatives.

    Open your mind. Consider reading Naomi Klein’s “This Changes Everything.”
    http://thischangeseverything.org/

  • DiverLaura May 16, 2015 (10:15 pm)

    It is an excellent point that we all enjoy the benefits of the petroleum products by way of durable goods. What if someone told you it was possible to ‘above ground mine’ for recyclable plastics and not have to crack petroleum to make our goods, would we think they were nuts? What if someone had that technology already? We may not be able to divest ourselves completely from plastics for durable goods, but we should be doing a LOT better with regards to using our dollars to vote and buy products made from recycled plastic.
    Take a gander at this: https://youtu.be/RD07GkmM2fc
    and what he’s up to now http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/circular-economy-environment
    The bottom line is we need to recycle more plastic so it CAN be reused.

    • WSB May 16, 2015 (10:43 pm)

      Laura, I haven’t found enough details to know exactly what this means but maybe you saw the city news release the other day, a new recycling-related contract that supposedly will enable more plastics recycling: http://www.seattle.gov/news/detail.asp?ID=15037
      .
      I hope to be able to find out more from Seattle Public Utilities. Might be smaller than what the guy in the story you linked is talking about, but a barrier to recycling always seems to be the dread question “Does THIS recycle?” The city flyer makes it sound as if almost everything plastic *does* but the story about the new contract suggests it doesn’t. http://www.seattle.gov/util/cs/groups/public/@spu/@recycle/documents/webcontent/spu02_014944.pdf

  • dsa May 16, 2015 (10:17 pm)

    Brilliant:
    “…start around 7 am ā€“ so it could affect the morning commute …”
    Target the working person who has the most to loose from this demonstration. Screw up the morning traffic, that should help.

  • Lesley May 16, 2015 (10:48 pm)

    7am on a Monday sounds like a great idea for a demonstration if the goal is to get people to pay attention. 10pm on a Sunday night is probably not so good. This is the point of a demonstration. Shouldn’t surprise anyone. Shell is the “person” that has the most to lose from this demonstration. Morning traffic ends up screwed up everyday anyway…big deal.

    Unlike a fender bender caused by a careless driver that destroys the morning commute, this is actual for a good purpose. We need this demonstration. We are lucky to have a media outlet like the WSB that has been keeping us in the loop about this for weeks. I have friends in other parts of town who saw the Polar Pioneer this weekend and have no clue what is going on, the process that led up to this, etc. That is why we need demonstrations.

  • Citizen Sane May 16, 2015 (11:00 pm)

    All in all, it looked like pretty harmless political theater, and I’m glad no one got hurt. But at the end of the day, did they accomplish anything, or was this an exercise in self-indulgence?
    .
    ‘Consciousness-raising’ is one thing, but I wonder how many of these ‘kayaktivists’ are registered to vote, and come out and vote in anything but presidential years. If more people took the time to get educated on the issues and then make it a point to vote, then I honestly don’t think it would matter how much money the Koch bros., Big Oil, etc. spent. The reality is that we have some of the worst voter turnout rates in the Free World.

  • AlkiGrl May 17, 2015 (12:11 am)

    @Lesley, thanks for making excellent points. The “thou shalt not protest if thou useth” is a lame attempt to cover the real reason why folks oppose the protest. The fact that my FB feed is inundated with pics and we’re all talking about it makes the protest a rousing success!
    This isn’t just about our port or this rig, this is about multinational corporations bent on squeezing every last drop of profit out of this fossil fuels despite the harm it does to our planet to the point of threatening our very existence. Capitalism unfettered can be incredibly destructive, and most of us are on the sidelines watching and feeling powerless.
    But when we take action collectively we have an impact. It may not be earth shattering progress in one day, but every time we act we move forward, especially when one picture can take a movement global with just a few Clicks and Shares.
    I look forward to more actions like this one to very much make businesses question what contracts they engage in on our turf.
    #paddleinseattle

  • sc May 17, 2015 (2:19 am)

    My husband and I are on vacation in the Hebrides islands in Scotland. Imagine my surprise to see West Seattle on the BBC, talking about “kayaks in Elliot Bay.” It really is a small world:)

  • WS since '66 May 17, 2015 (4:22 am)

    So many absurd comments about everyone using products. It’s not about products made with oil. Throw that argument out. It’s about using alternatives for transportation and power production. If cars were weaned off oil, which has already started with hybrids and electric cars, that would make a huge difference. THAT is what this is about.

  • aa May 17, 2015 (7:11 am)

    Thank you Leslie! I came back this morning to see how the comments were going. I am sad so many people are being so judgmental and negative. I guess I don’t understand the harm in this protest even if you don’t agree. I think its exciting! These are people enjoying our rights as Americans to join together and protest. It is one moment that will lead to another. In the pictures I see parents and children, not just ‘hippies and troublemakers’. Who knows what impact this experience will have on some of them. Everything that has changed and moved forward in reducing our use of oil had to start somewhere. We have electric cars! Clothes made of plastic! You think those things just came about with everyone on board? And please everyone stop buying those awful plastic bottles of water! You can make one change today to improve your heath and the environment with the act of buying a reusable bottle.

  • Neighbor May 17, 2015 (7:18 am)

    Citizen Sane (funny!) sounds like bill o’reilly.

  • Alkime May 17, 2015 (7:56 am)

    Do they use the same amount of police on Alki beach on Friday/sat nights during the summer? I don’t recall seeing that type of police presence for public safety on a weekend night.

  • olive May 17, 2015 (8:01 am)

    The comments section is frequently overrun by right wingers who lack the foresight and education to understand the horrible implications for Seattle and the world’s future that Shell’s presence represented. But by all means, tear down the efforts of activists by mocking their kayaks. Your grandchildren will likely ask why you were absent from the protests.

  • Mike May 17, 2015 (8:08 am)

    “The ‘thou shalt not protest if thou useth’ is a lame attempt to cover the real reason why folks oppose the protest.”
    .
    No, not really. It’s actually a stronger statement of what drives Shell to do what they do. They have very smart people crunching numbers that calculate how much of their product people will consume. I can guarantee they watched this and noticed all things using their product. They count on people not using items that are made with things they don’t take part in.
    .
    The stronger way to protest would be to not use anything Shell is part of. Stop buying products made with petroleum products. Use more second hand goods, buy recycled goods (even though they still use a % of new petroleum product too).
    .
    USE LESS, CONSUME LESS, that is a stand against these massive corporations. They are in business because it makes them insane money in the billions (they personally make billions).
    .
    DiverLaura, I like that TED talk video you posted. Mike Biddle is spot on and people like him will be a great influence on our environment and economy.
    .
    Believe it or not, Shell will gladly shift resources and tactics if it’s cost effective. They’re influenced by $, not what it’s from.

  • Jason May 17, 2015 (8:32 am)

    The cry about protesting on kayaks made using petroleum? *YAWN* That’s so old, and all who perpetuate that revelation are simply regurgitating another comment with the same line they saw elsewhere. In a world FILLED with petroleum products, how else do you expect them to protest? Walk down, swim? Get real!

  • Lesley May 17, 2015 (8:43 am)

    I agree that we all need to work to curb usage as well, but discounting someone’s message because they haven’t found a way to not use any petroleum products (who has??) is ridiculous.

    One individual’s reduction in fossil fuel usage is great and all, but what we need is a mass movement, and we need large powerful groups to commit to reduction – military, transportation, etc. This will also reduce the price per barrel of oil, which is good, because it will create more business incentive to look at alternatives.

    Something else that is HUGE that we can do if we have investments, or that we can encourage others to do, is to divest out of the fossil fuel industry. There is a strong movement, spearheaded by the Guardian, to encourage large charitable funds to divest out of fossil fuels.

    http://www.theguardian.com/environment/series/keep-it-in-the-ground

    Many have done it. A big target we may have an effect on locally is the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. They are doing amazing things to help the world, but all the while, they are investing in fossil fuel companies, which are destroying the world. Even the Rockefeller Brothers, who come from oil money, are divesting their fund.

    http://www.rbf.org/content/divestment-statement

  • ChefJoe May 17, 2015 (9:04 am)

    Geeze olive, that’s a broad brush. Here, let me try.

    The comments section re: arctic exploratory drilling is frequently overrun by eco-nuts who lack the education and world-view to understand that they’re harming the message about saving an arctic wilderness by making this a protest against fossil fuels.

  • Enviromaven May 17, 2015 (9:16 am)

    Bravo! It’s a start. Sending out a big Thank You to Yardvark, Lesley, Diver Laura and all the rest who have the courage, vision, and intelligence to consider positive change. WSB, you are the best!

  • philbob May 17, 2015 (9:37 am)

    Until the people of means give up minor convinces and stop consuming this is nothing then a exercise in NIMBY-ism; the intelligent, progressive, urbane, more thoughtful people of Seattle don’t like being reminded they are part of the problem… Keep in mind CM Mike O’Brian took his Kayak down to west Seattle likely with a car, used a “go-pro” (why he needs to own this I have no idea) so he could show off on social media (a consumer electronic built in coal powered factory by neofeudal slave labor) , then after words went to get a burger and beer. He couldn’t even abstain from crass materialism and unnecessary consumption when he should be setting the example. Enjoy your Latte’s while you brows for items on prime or pair items from consignment/vaule village with that neat thing you got at target.

  • Eric May 17, 2015 (9:42 am)

    Jason,

    The reason for pointing it out is due to the disconnect through dissociation that these protesters aren’t even looking at their own behaviors that contribute to the issue at hand. It’s like the guy protesting Nike some years ago and he was wearing Nike shoes.

    Are you seriously implying that boats are not made of other fibers than plastic?

  • CanDo May 17, 2015 (9:59 am)

    Yes, it is all about money by Shell and others whose bottom financial lines are all that matter today.

    People have taken a back seat to money in this world and have become easily discarded collateral damage in a world that worships money as the ultimate god. It’s a sad state of affairs and kudos to those who dare to take a stand and step out of their comfort zones to speak against those huge corporate money-changers who easily damage and discard us without a thought. The money changers have no problem destroying our air, water, land and seas, and it’s only because of challenges from ordinary citizens that their damaging practices have seen the light of day at all.

  • Koharski May 17, 2015 (10:24 am)

    Delaying Shell only allows the Russian and Chinese oil companies a head start over a more environmentally conscious effort. If you truly cared for Mother Earth you would expedite this oil platform’s activities here. Trust me, if you think we are hard on the environment – you should see the Chinese and Russians.

  • CanDo May 17, 2015 (12:35 pm)

    Help me understand this… will Shell be drilling in international waters? How can Russia and China drill off the coast of Alaska or is the drilling scheduled to be way north of any Canadian/US boundary?

  • AlkiGrl May 17, 2015 (1:02 pm)

    I couldn’t agree more with those who have emphasized that just protesting on one day isn’t enough. but it seems with some of those comments there’s an assumption that the folks who were protesting that day aren’t doing more. I would have been out there, on land, but I had to work so I loved seeing the post from many of my friends and colleagues who were protesting. And those I know personally do much more – many rely heavily on public transportation to get around; I and others emphasize re-use including enjoying our fabulous local consignment stores (shout-out to my fave, Funky Janes!) and are not horribly materialistic; and, Yes Citizen Sane, we do vote – in fact many of my friends on the water that day organize others to register and vote during elections and pack hearing rooms in-between.
    I don’t buy the purist argument that leads to judgement from the sidelines and paralysis.
    I certainly have more work to do and room to grow, but sure as hell am not going to stop taking action until i have nothing left to learn… which is never.

  • Stuy May 17, 2015 (1:36 pm)

    I have been a participant in the ongoing sHellNo! campaign, which has been focused on two threats presented by Arctic drilling.

    The first is the likelihood of a major spill; the Arctic ecosystem is fragile and a spill could be catastrophic. sHell’s previous attempt at drilling ended up as a farce and near tragedy with felony convictions for negligence and incompetence (http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/04/magazine/the-wreck-of-the-kulluk.html). The Chukcki Sea where sHell plans on drilling is at least 1000 miles from significant support in case of spill that could not be contained by sHellā€™s new, unproven technologies.

    The second is that burning the oil extracted from the Arctic will add significantly to global warming and eliminate the possibility of keeping average global temperatures from rising more than 2 degrees C. The scientific consensus is that a rise in temperature above this level would lead to climate chaos including sea level rise, ocean acidification, extreme droughts, etc. In order to keep this from happening 75-80% of known fossil fuel reserves need to remain in the ground rather than be burned (http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/global-warmings-terrifying-new-math-20120719).

    Drilling in the Arctic is digging the hole that we are in deeper and deeper.
    We need an international treaty banning Arctic Drilling before it is too late.
    Plastic kayaks are red herrings.

  • ChefJoe May 17, 2015 (2:51 pm)

    Stuy, re: your second point, is there something about the oil extracted from the arctic that adds to global warming more than oil extracted from canadian tar sands or latin america ? Or is that a tenuous connection between this rig and the “we need alternative energies in our future and present” idea ?

  • Les May 17, 2015 (2:51 pm)

    Olive, if you want to have a degree measuring contest we can. Unless you’re in a very small group of people I’ll win. My education taught me to think critically. That is why I poke fun at the hypocrisy of the protesters. I am grateful we have the luxury of protesting the very item that enables us to protest. I just want to make sure they see the irony they’re involved in. My amusement will turn to anger if my commute to my job is interrupted by those who aren’t going to theirs. That is all.

  • philbob May 17, 2015 (2:53 pm)

    So many excuses to not reduce consumption so little time.

  • Mike May 17, 2015 (3:07 pm)

    to be fair Stuy, it’s not oil that is directly responsible for global warming or depletion of the ozone. We burn more oil by using catalytic converters…which make the ozone depleting toxins when we use them on our vehicles. The mining of finite materials used in catalytic converters is also one of the largest contributors to acid rain and ozone layer depletion. Check out this article, makes Shell look like Santa Claus. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6528853.stm

  • Lesley May 17, 2015 (5:45 pm)

    You have no idea what lives others lead. Why would you think that someone who would spend their weekend risking arrest to protest against an evil corporation would not also be reducing consumption in their own lives, would not be voting, would not have bought that kayak second-hand? Would not be taking other measures in their lives on other days to have affect change? To reduce someone to the fact that they own a plastic kayak is not critical thinking, Les. It’s extremely closed minded and makes broad, ill-founded assumptions, which is not the hallmark of a critical thinker. All the people on here who think that they are discrediting the protestors by pointing out that they own something that is plastic and drive a car, who do you feel has the right to protest a mega-giant that has no consideration for any human, plant, animal that might stand in its way of making a buck? With your logic, only someone that is, perhaps, Amish, has any right to protest against Shell and Arctic drilling? With your logic, slaves had no right to want freedom because they may have eaten food and wore clothing provided to them by their owners. You logic is completely unsound, as I have stated before, and you are simply trying to make a mockery of people who have the guts to stand up for the right of all of us (including you) and future generations to exist. We have the right to protest whatever we want to protest and just because we may possess an item that was produced by something we are against does not mean that we cannot ask for something better. We can do better and we want our government to aggressively work with the global community to make agreements to reduce emissions, which will force alternative energies to emerge.

    I’m making this statement for those who may read your comments and believe that there is some kind of sound logic to it. Other than that, I don’t think your petty “amusement” deserves any more of anyone’s attention.

  • Lesley May 17, 2015 (5:52 pm)

    Mike,
    The hole in the ozone layer has nothing to do with global warming or oil. It is depleted by chemicals such as chlorine and bromine. Good news is that somehow, the world was able to mobilize around this impending doom thirty years ago and the hole has stopped growing and will, hopefully start shrinking in ten years.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-31602871

    http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-29152028

    It was an amazing example of the kind of action we need today regarding global warming from greenhouses gases such as CO2 (which is produced by the burning of fossil fuels) and methane.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming

  • G May 17, 2015 (6:17 pm)

    Again, we hear the tired old refrain to consume less, to reduce our materialistic footprint. It’s the same sermon that gets recycled every generation and is taken up by a new group of acolytes, and we see it surfacing here of course.

    When societies become wealthy they generally begin having smaller, NOT larger, families. So, by that logic, we should be encouraging countries to become wealthy and yes consume more, because in the long term this reduce the rate of population growth and consumption of all resources. This is already projected to happen.

    Oh, and never get in between someone and their idea that the end of the world is imminent – it’s a losing proposition.

  • Lesley May 17, 2015 (7:15 pm)

    Hi G,
    I appreciate your attempt to make light of this. I would love nothing more than to believe what you say regarding population growth, consumption rates, etc. From anything I’ve ever examined, though family sizes may shrink, we see greater CO2 output as countries grow wealthier. An interesting fact is that CO2 emissions actually went DOWN during the recession, when most of us naturally consumed less because we had less money to spend.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/17/science/earth/17emit.html

    And of course, we see that as China has become wealthier, it has become #1 in CO2 emissions in the world.

    So with regards to greenhouse gases and climate change, as much as I wish you were correct, it does not look like we can put faith in the fact that we will be saved by encouraging countries to consume more and become wealthy. Besides, even if that were the case, I don’t believe we have the time to wait for that to happen, as we are already over a global CO2 concentration of 400ppm, 50 ppm over the “safe” line.

    http://climate.nasa.gov/400ppmquotes/

  • Stuy May 17, 2015 (7:27 pm)

    ChefJoe, you’re absolutely right – we need to stop extracting oil from Canadian Tar Sands, American Bakken Shale, South American whatever. Join the Keep it in the Ground campaign, 350.org and 350 Seattle.

  • Eric May 17, 2015 (8:02 pm)

    Consume more is the answer? That’s the dumbest thing I’ve heard in a while. Thanks Enron

  • Stuy May 17, 2015 (8:24 pm)

    “If we burn up all the oil on the planet we won’t be able to live on it”. That simple. This goes for coal too.

  • Steve May 17, 2015 (9:03 pm)

    At the risk of being labeled a republican (or worse) I would simply like to point out that it is possible to change the world, but it won’t be through protests. Shell exec’s are probably getting a good chuckle out of it all, knowing that come Monday morning all of those people will continue on buying their products like they always have.
    The only thing the Oligarchs care about is power and money. And that’s the only way to change them, take away their power and money. That means stop(or greatly reduce) consuming petroleum products. You say it can’t be done? You most certainly can reduce your consumption, but it will take major lifestyle changes on everyone’s part. Something most Americans are not willing to do. It’s easy to spend a day protesting, then go back to your normal routine.
    What is needed, and is much much harder, is to stop living the lifestyle you currently live and consume less of the crappy products. Can’t afford a wood kayak? Don’t buy a plastic kayak, stop kayaking. Period. Yeah, it sucks. But that is the kind of personal sacrifice that each and every one of us is going to have to make to change the world. Stop buying those crappy products and go without. That is the only solution that will actually work, and I’m under no illusions that the American consumer is going to do that in my lifetime.
    Until you are prepared to make such sacrifices protest all you want, but don’t expect it to change anything. Never forget you are also still supporting the very industries you protest against with your dollars. And in the end, that’s all that matters to the Corporations.

    Oh, and don’t think that voting one party or the other will make any difference. The politicians are not going to change anything unless the corporations allow them to.

  • Lesley May 17, 2015 (9:15 pm)

    I totally agree with you Steve, and you don’t sound like a Republican to me, if only because you recognize the Oligarchy tendencies of our current situation. Protests are symbolic and also draw attention to the issue, which is positive, though. It is only one tool. And I also agree that it isn’t likely that Americans are going to voluntarily consume less and stick it to Shell, BP, and the others (though we also have to look at what our government, at local and federal levels, uses, which will require voting and encouraging our elected officials to act the way we want them to).

    So where do we go with this information? that is the next step. We all have to act together, and how do we act together? As a city, as a county, as a state, as a nation, and also on a global level through agreements with other nations. Generally, this is accomplished through governmental processes, by people who are elected to represent us. When the majority of people decide to do something, we can make big quick changes through the regulatory powers of the government. It worked with the hole in the ozone layer. It worked to take lead out of gasoline. It worked to make slavery illegal. It worked to create civil rights. It works on many occasions. We have problems with our elected officials, that’s for sure, because they are paid off by the corporations that we are trying to impact. And those that are benefiting from this system – the powerful, privileged, and rich – fear changing the status quo because that is where they derive their benefits. So we are kind of at an impasse, and I try to stay hopeful about it, and push people to stop being passive, educate themselves, and to vote with their brains at every opportunity.

  • Steve May 17, 2015 (10:29 pm)

    Thank you Lesley :)

    I wish I still had your optimism. I agree it *could* be done if enough people would wake up to our situation and make the changes needed.
    But I’ve been waiting for that hundredth monkey to wake up for a long time…. ever since the oil crisis and gas rationing of the 1970’s. That affected every American alive then and it still didn’t push us far enough to change our ways. As long as people can go back to their ‘normal’ lives the normalcy bias is in full effect.
    Maybe I’m just getting cynical in my old age, but I’ve been trying to change peoples minds for a long time without much luck. They all agree with my points then go back to what they’ve always done and known. I do hope I am wrong this time.

  • Zymara May 18, 2015 (1:06 am)

    The argument that kayakers don’t deserve to protest because their kayaks are made out of petroleum products is ridiculous. That’s like saying Californians don’t get to have an opinion about their current water shortage issues because they drink water and take showers. Yes, I drove a car over to watch the kayakers, because that is how I get around. When Seattle has a decent transit system, maybe I’ll use that instead. But in the meantime, cars use gas, I don’t have a choice in that. Geeez, what a silly argument against trying to make a change for the better.

  • Steve May 18, 2015 (1:55 am)

    Zymara: I certainly hope that wasn’t directed at me. I never said they didn’t deserve to protest. I said protest all you want. You definitely have the right to protest. But don’t expect to change anything if you keep giving your money to those whom you protest against.

    But you say you drove your car over to WATCH the kayakers? Not participate? So you burned gasoline to go entertain yourself watching…. exactly the kind of behavior I described in my post. If you really cared about the issue you would only drive when NECESSARY. If you weren’t there to participate and be part of the protest, you are part of the problem.

    People on both sides of this debate are blind to the reality of the situation… which is why it will ultimately fail.

  • Eric May 18, 2015 (5:10 am)

    @zymara,

    It’s not about if people can protest or not, but the absolute disconnect of the protesters to be protesting this issue while using boats derived from the very product they are protesting.

    You want to use the California analogy? Then it is akin to protesting about the water shortage while needlessly using the water to keep your lawn pristine green. As Steve pointed out, if we want change, then we have to change, and one of the things that can be done is to stop buying petroleum based products such as cheap plastic kayaks. It’s not ridiculous to point this out. It’s ridiculous for the person to have such a disconnect that they don’t even see how they contribute to the very problem they’re protesting.

  • philbob May 18, 2015 (7:18 am)

    Thanks Steve. My thoughts exactly. Speaking of mean spiritedness how dare the pro protestor camp accuse people who dont have a problem with the rigs here of being unintelleigent or uncaring. You don’t know if some of the jobs created working on this thing has helped someone’s self-esteem or allows them to provide for their family and most of the trust fund babies or established retired boomers who were protesting need to check their privilege just as we don’t know your story for protesting you don’t know our reasons for being ok with it here.

  • Ben May 18, 2015 (11:41 am)

    Newsflash! Shell doesn’t care.

  • Josh WS May 18, 2015 (12:42 pm)

    Sooo… a bunch of people in plastic boats protesting the oil that makes their boats… Gotta love Seattle. If you want to protest oil, then maybe think a little bit about HOW to protest it, people. This is almost as aggravating as May Day protesters wearing Nikes during anti-capitalism marches. WAKE UP SHEEPLE!

  • fionaenzo May 20, 2015 (7:50 am)

    Thanks Protestors for turning off your phones and TVs and being counted. I admire you putting your values into practice. This a non-violent protest — what’s with all the pushback? Yes we are in a throwaway society with plastic everywhere — does not mean persons of conscience cannot decry that economic trend. It is about fighting excess and finding middle ground for resource gathering which does not kill the planet for our grandchildren. We cannot continue with current exploitation of the planet (take a look at the oceans — miles-long islands of plastic refuse, oil “spills,” acidification and general poisoning) — and pretend to be thoughtful stewards.

  • Grant Ed May 23, 2015 (9:44 am)

    “Protests and demonstrations change nothing!” says the person commenting on a blog post. Oh, the irony.

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